


Fond Memories Of You

by Augurey_Ray



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, Minor death, Post-Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Post-Hogwarts, Scorbus, Scorbus as parents, Scorbus as uncles, some swears, they have a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26310385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Augurey_Ray/pseuds/Augurey_Ray
Summary: One night when Albus is struggling to sleep he finds a mysterious box on the doorstep.Snippets throughout Albus and Scorpius' life with their beloved cat.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Fond Memories Of You

* * *

**October 2028:**

Albus was usually a deep sleeper and it was almost impossible to wake him once he was asleep. Tonight, not so much. Every tiny sound in the house seemed louder than usual and it was putting Albus on edge. He tried to focus on his own breathing, keeping it in time with Scorpius' light snores. As he felt himself finally drifting off, a small scratching sound caught his attention and Albus' eyes were wide open again. It wasn't the usual sounds like the hum of the fridge or the hot water pipes in the bathroom. Deciding that until he knew what it was he wouldn't get any sleep, Albus unraveled himself from Scorpius' arms and padded across the wooden floor and into the kitchen. He followed the continuous sound into the living room and to the front door. Albus was full of apprehension as he found the key on the rack and slowly unlocked the door.

On the doorstep was a small cardboard box and with closer inspection Albus could hear that same scratching noise coming from inside. He knelt down on the doormat and peeled the sides of the box away to reveal a tiny black and white kitten. The small animal stared up at him with its large blue eyes and Albus immediately softened. He picked up the box and brought it inside. The kitten watched as he tip toed back into the bedroom and shook Scorpius awake.

"Scor!" He hissed, gently shaking his shoulder. Scorpius grunted and sat up.

"Everything okay?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, it's just-" A huge gust of wind interrupted him. Albus sighed. "You're going to have to come and look for yourself." Scorpius frowned but took Albus' hand and followed him sleepily into the living room where the box sat on the sofa. Scorpius gasped when the kitten came into view.

"What? Albus?" He murmured, looking at Albus for an explanation.

"It's been one of those nights and there was this noise keeping me awake. It led me to the door where this was on the doorstep outside." Scorpius sat down beside the kitten on the sofa and gently pulled it free.

"Hello little one." Scorpius cooed. Albus leant over the back of the sofa so he could look over Scorpius' shoulder. "Where did you come from?"

"The gate must've blown open. I don't see why someone would just leave it here but there's no other explanation." Albus said in thought. Scorpius nodded.

"And there's no note?"

"Nothing." Albus confirmed. "What should we do? I don't think James would want another cat."

"We're gonna keep it of course!" Scorpius looked affronted. "It's here for a reason and look! It likes me!" He giggled as the kitten curled into his lap. Albus watched as it purred in content and then switched his gaze to Scorpius who looked delighted.

"Alright but you need to find out the gender and then give it a name." Albus bent down to kiss Scorpius' hair. "I should go and lock up that gate."

"Please don't!" Scorpius said so quickly he stumbled slightly over the words. "I mean, do it tomorrow. It's really cold out tonight." He turned his attention back to the kitten. "Isn't it Princess?" The kitten purred again in agreement.

"Alright." Albus agreed removing the box from the sofa to take its place, sitting cross legged across from Scorpius. "What about a name?"

"I already said. Princess. She's a girl." Scorpius said still beaming down at the kitten. Albus rolled his eyes fondly.

"Seriously Scor?" Scorpius nodded enthusiastically. "Very original." Scorpius laughed at Albus' usual dry tone, then he stood up and carried the small ball of fur out of the room. Albus followed him curiously into the bedroom where Scorpius climbed back onto the bed and sat Princess in the middle.

"Absolutely not." Albus protested. "She could be carrying something." Scorpius looked at him for a second. He couldn't argue with that.

"Please Albus." He begged with wide eyes.

"Not tonight love." Albus said, scooping Princess up from where she'd settled on the blanket. "Once you've bathed her tomorrow but not tonight." Scorpius huffed but reluctantly agreed. Albus settled Princess back on the sofa and stroked her back as she settled down to sleep. He switched off all of the lights and climbed back into bed beside Scorpius who wrapped his arms around Albus' torso once more and snuggled into his back.

Finally, with every noise settled, Albus could fall into a deep sleep until he was awoken in the early morning by a small purr and the feeling of something soft sitting on his face.

* * *

**March 2029:**

"Ugh Fuck!" Albus' voice stirred Scorpius from sleep. There was a loud whirring noise as Albus slammed his fist onto the kitchen counter. Scorpius groaned and rolled over coming face to face with their tiny kitten, Princess, who was watching him expectantly. She jumped off the bed in surprise as there was another roar from Albus. Scorpius managed to fall back asleep but was awoken not long after when there was a crash and the sound of something smashing on the floor. Scorpius checked the clock on the bedside table. It was 11:30am. He had been working till 4am the previous night so, as much as he hated getting up late, at least he had an excuse. Albus never had an excuse. He simply got up and worked when he wanted and somehow always reached deadlines for potion orders even when Scorpius had given up hope. But Scorpius would never give up on Albus. He believed in him 100%.

Deciding it was already late enough, Scorpius climbed out of bed and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders before traipsing into the kitchen. Albus was bent over their muggle coffee machine trying to dismantle it. Scorpius moved towards the teapot and began to fill it with water. He added the tea leaves and heated the water with his wand. Turning towards Albus, he waited for it to brew. Albus hadn't heard him or noticed him, he was way too invested in the coffee machine. Scorpius kept a safe distance. An Albus without his morning coffee was not someone he wanted to anger any more than he already was. He trod carefully with his words.

"Morning." He began.

"Shit Scorpius!" Albus jumped back, his hand on his chest.

"Sorry! I'm sorry." Scorpius quickly apologised. He hated when a curse and his name were used in the same sentence. It reminded him of the bullies they'd left behind at school. Albus clearly realised what he'd said.

"Hey, stop. _I'm_ sorry." Albus reached out for Scorpius and pulled him into a hug.

"It's alright." Scorpius buried his face in Albus' shoulder to muffle a yawn. "What's wrong?" He finally asked, pulling away.

"This fucking coffee machine is fucking broken." Albus gestured frustratedly at the coffee machine.

"Have you tried magic?" Scorpius asked. He knew the answer already as he glanced around the kitchen and realised Albus' wand was no where to be seen.

"No. I wouldn't know where to fucking start." Albus scowled and leant against the counter, his head in his hands.

"Hey, calm down I'm sure we can find a way."

"No, I was supposed to be giving myself a day off today. It was supposed to be relaxing and I'm already stressed and angry." Albus pulled his wand from his back pocket and pointed it at the smashed remnants of a mug, flicking it into the bin.

"It still can be." Scorpius stepped closer and put a hand on Albus' back. "Why don't we go to the café in the village and get you a proper coffee hmm?" Albus nodded.

"That- that would be nice." He smiled and reached up to cup Scorpius' face, kissing his nose softly. "I don't deserve you." He muttered before leaning into Scorpius and hugging him again. Princess let out a loud meow as she brushed against their legs. Scorpius bent down and picked her up, nuzzling his face against her fur. Albus rolled his eyes.

"She gets more attention than me." He pouted. Scorpius giggled and pushed Princess into Albus' face.

"Give her a hug. It'll make you feel better." Albus reluctantly took Princess from Scorpius' arms and let her lick his face all the while with a deadpanned expression. Scorpius giggled again and leaned into his arm for a side hug.

* * *

**February 2031:**

When Albus' alarm buzzed he turned over and slammed his hand down on top of it. By now he knew exactly where to place his hand to switch it off, even when he was still half asleep. He wasn't ready to get up yet and it wouldn't hurt to have an extra couple of minutes. Keeping his eyes tight shut, Albus rolled back onto his stomach and flung his right arm out onto the other side of the bed. Expecting it to land on the warm body of his sleeping husband, Albus was jolted awake when all he hit was the cold bed sheets and a less than pleased cat who hissed at the disruption of Albus' arm.

Albus groaned and lay his head in the pillow as he realised Scorpius was most likely at work. He never knew what the date was anymore. Working from home meant that he hardly needed to.

"Fuck off." Albus mumbled into the pillow as Princess started to knead at his hair. She jumped onto his back and curled up again. Albus turned his head to the side and stared at the muggle digital clock on his beside table. It told him the day, time and temperature. His eyes scanned blearily for the date. The clock read Thursday and almost midday. Although Albus didn't know his own schedule as well as he should, he knew Scorpius' off by heart. He'd be back from work in an hour and as much as Albus wanted to stay in bed until he came home it made him feel pretty guilty to think that Scorpius would have already worked 6 hours. Albus' eyes were drooping again and the soft sensation of Princess' breathing against his back lulled him back to sleep.

Albus pretended not to hear Scorpius as he called when he returned home. It was around 1pm but Albus couldn't be completely sure. He pushed himself further under the blankets in an attempt to hide as he swallowed his guilt.

"Al?" Scorpius entered the bedroom and Albus instantly felt Princess jump from his back to greet him. Albus listened as Scorpius walked around the bed and knelt down beside him. Albus peeled his eyes open to stare into his husbands face. "Are you okay?" Scorpius whispered, pushing Albus' hair back from his forehead. Albus nodded slightly and searched for Scorpius' hand with his own.

"Just missed you. No point in getting up when you're not here." Albus said sleepily, pulling Scorpius' arm into his chest and hugging it tightly. The look on Scorpius' face told Albus he knew that wasn't the real reason but he let it drop for the meantime.

"Well, if you know what day it is you'll know that there's something waiting in the kitchen for you." Of course. Thursdays were coffee days. Scorpius always bought Albus a coffee from the nice café down the road on his way back from work and Albus wasn't even awake to receive it. Albus pushed himself up and Scorpius reached out with his free hand to ruffle his hair fondly. Before fully getting up, Albus played with the wedding ring on Scorpius' finger and leant against his shoulder. Scorpius pulled him in for a hug, yet again sensing something was wrong.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're being clingy." Scorpius' eyes were full of concern.

"Am I not just allowed to miss you?" Albus mumbled. They were interrupted when Princess jumped up into Albus' lap and started hissing at him. "Why're you angry with me today?" Albus said angrily.

"Did you two fall out?" Scorpius teased but then his face fell deadly serious. "Thursday is your day to feed her." Albus dropped Scorpius' hand and ran his own over his face.

"I forgot again." When he looked back up at Scorpius there were tears in his eyes. "Why am I so fucking useless?!" He yelled.

"Hey, calm down." Scorpius moved to sit on the side of the bed beside him. "You're far from useless. This is clearly just a bad day and that's okay." Scorpius had his arms around Albus' shoulders and he gave him a tight squeeze. "I'm here to look after you for the rest of the day now so why don't I make you _both_ breakfast?" He smiled, nodding towards Princess who stood on the bed in front of them.

"Okay." Albus smiled weakly and followed Scorpius into the kitchen, Princess proudly in the lead.

* * *

**July 2033:**

There was a scream from the garden as Scorpius unpacked the groceries for the soup Albus was planning on making later. Scorpius dropped everything and ran out into the garden, preparing for the worst. Sat in the middle of the grass was his niece Poppy and their cat, Princess.

Poppy was crying hysterically, clutching her arm tightly with her right hand. Scorpius made his way over and knelt down in the grass beside her.

"Shh shh." He hushed over Poppy's overwhelmingly loud wails. She allowed him to take a better look at her arm and he winced at the large red gashes across them. "What happened?" He asked gently.

"P-Princess and I were j-just p-playing." She screamed again as Scorpius brushed his finger over the wounds.

"Sorry petal." Scorpius wrapped her in a hug as she balled her eyes out against his chest. Princess was no where to be seen almost as though she knew she was in trouble. "If you come inside I can help clean you up, yeah?" He explained calmly. Poppy nodded against his shirt and allowed him to carry her inside.

Scorpius sat Poppy down on the kitchen counter beside the sink and soaked a cloth with warm water. He added a drop of Essence Of Dittany to it before dabbing it along Poppy's outstretched arm. Albus walked in while Scorpius was attempting to distract Poppy by asking her about Quidditch and some of her other current interests.

"What happened?" He asked with wide concerned eyes.

"Princess." Scorpius said simply, wrapping a bandage around the majority of Poppy's forearm.

"I swear that cat is getting more and more feral." Albus dragged his hand across his face, peering down as Princess trotted through the garden door and began to nuzzle against his legs. "Speak of the devil." He mumbled.

Poppy reached her arms out for Albus and he stepped over the cat to pick her up.

"Princess isn't the nicest cousin is she Pops?" He said as she buried her face into his shoulder. Poppy shook her head slightly. "Maybe we ought to get you someone nicer to play with." He smirked as Scorpius turned beat red at what Albus was suggesting.

"I want a little brother." Poppy said sleepily as she cuddled further into the crook of Albus' neck.

"Is that so?" Albus laughed lightly. The sight was almost melting Scorpius as he watched Albus murmur softly to his niece who was slowly falling asleep in his arms. It was Princess' meow that brought him back to the present. She was pawing at the cupboard where she knew her treats were kept.

"No treats for you Mrs." Scorpius said gravely. In the end he couldn't resist her eyes and picked her up for her own hug. She lay contently in his arms as he rocked her like a baby.

"I know what you're thinking right now." A voice sounded behind him.

"James!" Scorpius jumped and Princess leapt from his arms to greet James.

"Sorry, came to pick up Poppy." James shrugged. "Where is she?" He furrowed his brow in concern and as well as embarrassed Scorpius felt a little guilty.

"Err Albus took her upstairs I think. She was very tired and there was a small accident with Princess." James' face softened.

"Don't worry." He said as he moved closer to Scorpius and placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't need to say much else. Scorpius knew what he was trying to say and as he left the Kitchen to find his daughter Scorpius deflated against the kitchen cupboards, drawing his knees up to his chest. Princess made her way back to him and rested her chin on his shoe.

* * *

**December 2037:**

The first time they brought Lyra Astoria Potter-Malfoy home Princess hadn't acted too kindly. She didn't seem too keen on this new member of the family who was taking up all the attention. Albus definitely noticed this because he was terrified of what could happen if Princess came too close to his baby girl.

Princess had slept on Albus and Scorpius' bed since the second night they'd had her but it was becoming increasingly unlikely to find her there now. With one of them getting up every couple of hours to calm their screaming baby, Princess seemed to have gotten sick of getting woken up all the time. It wasn't until they were babysitting Poppy again and Albus checked on her in the morning that he realised where exactly Princess had been sleeping at night.

Curled up in the early morning light Princess slept alongside Poppy on top of the wool blanket. Poppy's hand was stilled, resting in Princess' soft dappled fur.

* * *

**October 2043:**

"Papa?" Scorpius opened his eyes to see Lyra watching him anxiously. She had teary eyes and she wiped her nose on her pyjama sleeve. It was incredible, he thought, how fast she'd grown. Six year old Lyra had Scorpius' pastey skin and Albus' brilliantly green eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair hung across her shoulders in two plaits that Albus had done perfectly for her the night before.

Scorpius pushed himself up slightly and took her small hands in his.

"What's wrong pumpkin?" He asked softly. Lyras lip quivered and she feverishly pulled it between her teeth in an attempt to keep herself from crying any more.

"P-Princess won't wake up." Scorpius froze before pulling Lyra into his chest. She climbed up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around his stomach. She let out a short whimper and Scorpius felt Albus sit up in the dark and shuffle a little closer to them. He rested his chin on Scorpius' shoulder and placed a hand on Lyras head. He probably hadn't heard any of the conversation before so Scorpius prompted Lyra a little.

"Do you want me to come and have a look for you." There was a feeling of dread in his stomach but he didn't think any of them would get back to sleep if they left it till the morning. Lyra sniffled and nodded. Scorpius peeled back the blankets and climbed out, hoisting Lyra onto his hip. Albus watched them, confusion painted across his face. Scorpius pulled at his hand. He needed Albus' support with this himself. Albus obliged even though he still didn't know what was going on.

As they walked up the stairs, huddled together, Scorpius felt the dread grow with every step. There were already tears in the corners of his eyes at the only possible explanation he could think of. Lyras bedroom door was still wide open and her table lantern was causing a small glow to light up a the small corner of her room. On the bed lay Princess. Lyra stayed in Scorpius' arms as he stood in the doorway not wanting to take any steps closer.

"Scor?" Albus asked gently. Scorpius turned his head towards Albus and in the soft light of the lantern he could see the wetness of Scorpius' eyes.

"Princess." Scorpius said, barely a whisper. Albus' face became one of confusion to complete understanding. He squeezed his husbands arm and brushed past them to sit on the bed. Normally just that movement would jostle the cat awake but this time Princess stayed firmly in one place. Albus rested his hand on her back and then looked back to Scorpius and Lyra who watched him expectantly. Albus gave them a sad smile.

"Why don't you sleep with me and Papa for the rest of the night pumpkin?" He whispered, kissing Lyras tiny cheek. She nodded and pressed her face into the crook of Scorpius' elbow. Scorpius inhaled deeply and Albus pressed his hand on the small of his back, guiding them back downstairs and into their own bedroom.

Lyra was already asleep in Scorpius' arms so he slowly lowered her down into the middle of the bed. Scorpius was wrapping himself in another blanket as Albus shuffled towards him and sat cross legged opposite him.

"I'm sorry." He murmured. Scorpius sniffed and he could see tears of Albus' own in his eyes. Albus traced his thumb across Scorpius' cheeks to wipe away the stray tears and Scorpius fell forward into his husbands chest, his body shaking with sobs. They held each other tightly until a small body crawled between them and sat in the middle of both their laps. Lyra didn't question anything. She was a clever girl and she understood why her cat no longer wanted to play with her.

Albus and Scorpius lay down with Lyra in the middle, their arms draped over each other for comfort.

Early the next morning, Albus dug Princess a small grave just under a yellow daisy bush in their back garden. Lyra had decorated a shoe box with colourful drawings and Scorpius had lowered the cats dead weight into it.

It was strange to think about how much had changed since Princess had first appeared on their doorstep but the house would never feel the same and it was Scorpius who missed her presence the most. Coming in from work was never the same. By now he was so used to being attacked by a cat and his daughter the minute the door was closed behind him. Now he thought about it Princess had almost been like his first baby. He remembered back to the day James had caught him almost imagining she were. It hit differently now he actually had a child of his own. Lyra had her arms wrapped around his leg as she watched her dad pile soil back over the box.

The rest of the morning consisted of Lyra presenting Scorpius with several smooth stones from the tiny fountain in the back garden and asking whether Princess would have liked them. Later on, when he looked out of the bedroom window, Scorpius spotted Lyra arranging the stones she had collected over the dirt where her beloved cat was buried.

Tears were running down his face faster than he could stop them and for the first time he properly took in the loneliness that was a house without a cat. He never thought he'd become so used to it but now Princess was gone it just felt wrong. Albus was always there for comfort, his arms wrapped around Scorpius' shoulders as he still stood staring out of the window. He kissed him just below the earlobe and nuzzled his nose against Scorpius' neck.

"Remember that first night where I woke up with her sat on my face?" Albus whispered.

"Yeah." Scorpius let out a watery chuckle.

"Or the many other times she fell asleep in inconvenient places."

"She liked sleeping on you." Scorpius smirked. "Made me jealous a lot." Albus snorted.

"Really? You were constantly carrying her around the house. She definitely got more attention than me at times." Scorpius swatted his hand but he couldn't help the tiniest smile at their fond memories.

**Author's Note:**

> So I have my first official day of my final school year tomorrow and I just wanted to post this because I wrote it ages ago and never got round to posting it. Good luck to anyone else going back to school or uni or work or whatever!
> 
> Thank you for reading and if you enjoyed please feel free to leave kudos and comment, I love reading them! ✨
> 
> Twitter - @ray_fish_  
> Instagram - @augurey_ray  
> If you wanna say hi!


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